


A Birthday for Memories

by mwittym14



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, My First Fanfic, Oneshot, Reader-Insert, Romance, Romantic Gestures, Supportive April, brotherly teasing, supportive brothers, supportive splinter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-09-30 22:26:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10173758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mwittym14/pseuds/mwittym14
Summary: Your birthday is quickly approaching and our leader in blue has surprise plans for you. With the aid of his family and friends, Leonardo is determined to give you a special birthday celebration that you won't soon forget.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was totally unplanned and I don't remember what even inspired me after 4 months of on and off writing this. It's very long for a one shot and usually imnthe reader so I thought I'd try being the writer. Sorry if it's wordy in some places but hopefully I can entertain atleast one person!

As you tried to appear casual while sitting on a New York City bench, you subtly scanned the streets and took note of each passer by. Once you deemed the streets clear, you quickly made your way to the adjacent alley and over to the manhole cover. Following the usual routine, you slid the cover over and took a few steps down the ladder. You remembered to slide the cover back before continuing your descent. The walk to the lair was a fairly short and easy one from today's enterance. You smiled at the memory of a few months ago when you'd gotten lost on your first solo trek down to the lair. You called the guys in hysterics and Michelangelo had been the one to come find you. Apparently you were only two tunnels away and yet found yourself close to tears from thinking you'd gotten lost deep in the sewer system. Now, even as you were barely paying attention, you recognized that the intentionally subtle entrance was right up ahead. 

Donatello was the first to notice you as you entered. You happily went over to say hello. It surprised you to see him simply lounging on the couch with no intentions of going to work in his lab. After you and Donnie had been talking for a bit, Mikey and Raphael exited the dojo laughing and bantering. They proceeded to take a seat with the two of you. They said their hellos and the four of you shared a conversation. 

You didn't know why exactly but the atmosphere was different. There was a sense of peace and calm which at times, could be a rare occurrence in the lair. The guys certainly knew how to relax and have fun but lately it was more likely that the quartet would be occupied with planning a stakeout, a counterattack, or even an infiltration into enemy territory. The point being that everyone was at ease for once. During the conversation you would occasionally glance around and look for the missing fourth turtle. Currently you were chatting with Raphael and after your tenth time of scanning the room Raph just shook his head when you resumed eye contact with him. "You could just ask where he is, ya know." He suggests. He's sporting an amused smile and his voice is slightly mocking. Refusing to show any kind of reaction to him, you shrug. 

As of late this had become what you thought was a bad habit of Raphael's. He clearly found it amusing to point out your interest in Leonardo whenever possible. Even worse? He didn't hesitate to do it in the presence of his younger brothers. If you could have it your way then none of the others would know. Upon telling you that he knew, Raph had said that you made it obvious that you were into Leo. It wasn't long before the others caught on to his teasing and comments and also knew of your crush on Leo. Thankfully, none of them had been evil enough to actually say anything in front of Leonardo. Yet. 

"I guess I'll tell you anyway." Raph offered after you didn't reply. "He left for a run and said he'd be gone about two hours." Raphael explained as he pulled out his tPhone. "And if he meant it, then he should be back any minute." He continues as he checks the time. 

As if he heard this, the entrance door opened and Leo slipped in looking only slightly winded. His eyes practically light up upon seeing you and he makes his way over, quickly pulling you into a hug. You embrace him back, the familiar, warm feeling you always get around him making you smile. Raph groans and Donnie clears his throat after several seconds. In the background you hear Mikey mutter something about Leo 'never greeting him that way'. Hoping your face doesn't betray how flustered you are, you pull away avoiding the others' gazes. "It's uh, nice to see you (YN)." Leo says with a half smile. You meet his eyes and smile too. "Yeah it's been a while." You reply. "Weren't you just down here like 3 days ago?" Mikey asks. You turn to glare at him while Raph and Don laugh at you. Everyone settles a moment later and then you sit down and scoot over to make room for Leo. 

The evening progresses without much excitement between watching an impromptu training session in the dojo and watching new episodes of favorite shows. When it nears 8:30pm you announce your departure and leave with a promise to stay later on Friday. "Text me when you get home safe." Leo reminds at the door. "Of course." You smile. After a quick hug you're out the door and heading home with him still on your mind. 

Leo's turns back towards the living room when he finds his brothers staring at him each with different levels of amusement in their expressions. "When are you going to tell her that you like her?" Donnie questions first. Leo visibly tenses though his face gives away nothing. He chooses to ignore them and heads towards the kitchen instead. Of course, they won't allow him out of it this easily and they follow the eldest to the counter. "You probably shouldn't try to deny it either because we know for sure that you like her, dude." Mikey interjects. Despite his discomfort and his instinct to deny their claims Leo quietly admits that he does in fact like you. They all grin but then he adds that he can't tell you the truth. "Well, Raph doesn't call you fearless for nothing, Leo. We could help you figure out the right way to tell her if you want." Donnie offers. Leo actually contemplates this because he knows that Donnie at least would take this seriously and actually be helpful. "Well ... I had been thinking of doing something for her since her birthday's soon." Leo explains. All eyes turn to Mikey as he whoops loudly. "Guys we should totally have a birthday party for her! We can all decorate and set up a dance floor! We'll dance and get her a cake then at the end before she leaves Leo can tell her." Mikey proposed. Around the circle everyone seemed pleased and interested at the prospect of a party. No one seemed to have any objections and Leo was happy to be the receiver of one of Mikey's atypically clever plans. 

Leo's t-phone buzzed and he smiled automatically as he read the sweet goodnight message you had sent him. "Mikey glanced at Leo's phone. "Wow. You really do need to tell her." He emphasizes. Then to his other brothers Mikey says, "Imagine how happy he'll look if we actually get them together." Leo's brothers laugh at his embarrassment as he slinks off to his room. But it was decided. The guys were throwing you a party. 

The next day the planning started. Although your birthday was on Saturday the guys were planning your party for Friday since you'd already said you were coming back to the lair then. They only had a few days so they were moving fast. Leo had called in April and Casey for extra help with decorations and the source of his recent anxiety: your gift. Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo had decided to just get you one gift from all of them. At one point Master Splinter had come into the living room to see what all the excitement was about. He had quickly approved the guys' plan and said he may even have a small gift for you. The last gift would be a joint gift from April and Casey. Casey might know you a little better than April since you two had been friends for years but Leo thought it'd be wiser to get some female advice in this situation. 

After brainstorming with April and her gently shooting down some suggestions he finally decided on a customized necklace. They looked online for a bit before deciding on a simple but gorgeous locket design. The silver chain held a sliver heart with small patterned indentations and had room for a small engravement. Leo took the majority of his money collected over the years to April and explained his final plan. She smiled supportively and agreed that Leo's idea was perfect. With her promise to go to the jeweler tomorrow morning, Leo felt more at ease and finally allowed himself to feel some excitement instead of worry. 

Later that night Leonardo found himself being pulled from his meditation by three sharp knocks on his door. He senses that it's Master Splinter before the door even opens. "My son. I am sorry to have interrupted your meditation but in light of hearing about your gift to (y/n) I wanted to check up on you." 'How did he even know? I just decided a few hours ago!' Pushing his thoughts away, Leo smiled appreciatively and welcomed his Sensei into the room. "Thank you, Sensei. I'm fine and I think she'll really like it." "Leonardo, I am not merely concerned about wether (y/n) will take a liking to your gift. This party is also an opportunity to reveal your true feelings to her, is it not?" Leo felt the blood rushing to his face but managed a slow nod while still (barely) maintaining eye contact with Splinter. He shouldn't be surprised that Splinter had already figured out the part he wasn't being told. "Although I have known for quite some time, I am still surprised that you haven't come to speak to me about how you were feeling. However, I will not let your choice to omit this information stop me from giving you my blessing." Sensei reassures. Leo's serious expression wavered and he smiled sincerely at his Sensei. 

"I'm sorry for not being open with you Sensei. I just hesitated because I know how you felt about Donnie's advances towards April." "My son, your approach to this situation is much different from your brother's. You are more cautious in your actions and I trust that any interactions between yourself and (y/n) have not caused her discomfort. That is why I trust in you to make your own choices about this." Leo took great comfort and reassurance from Master Splinter's revelations as well as the hand resting on his shoulder. "I'm still really worried, Master Splinter. What am I gonna do if after all of this planning, things go wrong? I don't know if I'll still be able to face her if she doesn't feel the same." Leo admits. Splinter places a gentle hand on Leo's shoulder as he replies: "I've come to believe that you are as much a natural born worrier as a leader. It is the only explanation as to why you are still plagued with constant worry after all of your successes. I know that strategies and battle tactics are your forté but do not doubt that you are smart also in affairs of the heart, Leonardo. (Y/N) possesses a rare genuiness(?) and is great at accepting others for who they really are. Surely she is aware of the similar traits you two possess and agrees that you would be a great pair. All things considered, I have a strong belief that your plans for tomorrow will go well." Leonardo was quick to throw his arms around his Sensei and thank him once more. Though Master Splinter was far from unloving, he did not often show outright physical affection. His love and care were shown effectively through his words. However in the occasional instance when he did show physical affection, like now, Leonardo always welcomed and appreciated it. Sensei merely smiled reassuringly before making his exit. Leo was last to go to sleep later that night but he was content and peaceful. 

~~~~~  
Balloons of your favorite color were bobbing around the lairs living room and paired well with the streamers strung from the ceiling. There were some reusable cups, plates, and cutlery set out on the table and pizza boxes stacked high next to them. Raph and Donnie were doing some last minute straightening up as Miley put the final touches on the two tier birthday cake he'd been carefully making all afternoon. With the cake iced and placed on a fancy serving dish, Michelangelo exited the kitchen just as April and Casey arrived. Casey called out a standard greeting and April followed, carrying a gift bag with her. 

"It's really nice that you guys are doing this for (y/n)." April says. "This way she can celebrate with her friends today and then her family tomorrow." She sets the bag down under the table and admires the decorations. "Where's Leo anyway? I figured he'd be out here stressing like nobody's business." Casey asks while lazily dropping onto the couch. Rolling his eyes at Casey's sprawled form, Raph answers, "He was stressing so we sent him out on another training run while we finished things up. He got back a few minutes ago and is showering before he leaves to go to her house." "Well I know (y/n)'s really confused because when I talked to her in class today she told me Leo was being mysterious and that he only said he had a birthday surprise for her. So she has no idea what's going on. She also said she was going to take a nap and do homework after school since she wasn't allowed to come over right away. But Leo should go soon because she seemed even more curious by the time school ended." April told everyone. "Well in that case I'm definitely leaving right now." Leo declared. 

Everyone turned to look at their leader as he emerged from the bedroom hallway, a small gift box clutched in his hand. "Go get yer girl." Raph grinned supportively with a rough pat on Leo's shoulder. "Yeah! Hurry up and get your girlfriend Leo! I wanna get this party started!" Mikey shouts energetically. Leo rolls his eyes good naturedly and bids everyone goodbye as he takes off for the surface. 

Your home is not far from April's apartment and sits in a line of quaint looking townhouses a few streets away. Leo heads to the very edge of the block where your house is conveniently located for easy rooftop accessibility. He maneuvers down the side of the building and swings around on to your tiny deck and fire escape all while avoiding the illuminated area from the nearby street light. You hear one knock on the glass and spot Leo through the intentional gap you left in your curtains. You quickly pull him inside and away from the semi-populated streets below. 

The automatic smile you always have with Leo has shown up and Leo smiles in a similar manner back at you. One of you initiates a hug and you both linger a bit longer than necessary before pulling apart and smiling again. "Hi." You say quietly. "Happy almost Birthday." Leo says back. You thank him and then huff quietly as he hands you a small gift box with a shiny bow on top. "You honestly didn't have to get me anything you know." You say as you inspect the little box. "You're very special to me (y/n) and I want you to have a great birthday." Leo says seriously. You stop turning the box around in your hands and look straight at him when you hear the unusual tone of his voice. Looking right into your eyes, Leo takes a deep breath before saying he has something to tell you. Your heartbeat picks up but you try to remain relaxed as you smile and tell him you're listening. 

"(Y/n) my family and I are so grateful to know you and we couldn't be more appreciative for your loyalty and help over the last few months. I'm so happy we've become so close and I couldn't picture my life without your friendship now. Recently I've been feeling kind of um, different around you and I realized it's because I sort of uh, really like you? As more than a friend? And I just thought that I should maybe tell you that..." Leo trailed off and it was dead silent in the room as he broke eye contact with you. Your brain stopped for a few seconds and you didn't respond for what Leo felt was an eternity. Finally, with a giant grin on your face, you grabbed Leo's three fingered hand in one of yours. His eyes snapped back up to you and you saw how nervous and worried he looked. "Leo, really like you too." you say while squeezing his hand. "As more than a friend." You clarify. The bewildered look on his face as he processes your words, makes you laugh. "Oh. Oh. Really? You aren't just saying that?" Another laugh as you shake your head and assure him that you really do feel the same. You guys share another hug and a smile before you're reminded of the gift box. "Can I open it now?" You ask as you pull Leo to sit with you on your bed. "Absolutely." Leo nods as he wraps an arm around you. 

You gently pull the lid off and then smile at the beautiful necklace sitting inside. You carefully lift it up and run your finger over the intricate designs on the locket's surface. With a grateful smile you pull the necklace around your neck and clasp it in the back. "So...you like it then?" Leo asks quietly. "Yes. I love it. Thank you, Leonardo." "You're welcome, (y/n). There's actually one more thing." Leo reaches around you and turns the locket to the side. Now you see a minuscule button and as his large finger presses it, you watch in awe as it opens up the locket. 

Leo's hand moves away and you examine the images on the inside. One side features a group photo of you, the guys, Master Splinter, April and Casey taken with a selfie stick. The other side has a picture you've never seen before. It was taken in the lair and neither you nor Leo appear to be aware of the camera. You're sitting side by side on the couch laughing at whatever was on tv and your legs are looped comfortably around each other's as your head leans on his shoulder. "Wow. I think this might be my favorite picture ever." You say looking up at him. "Mine too. When I told April I wanted to get you a locket she said she had the perfect picture in mind. And of course I agreed when I saw it." Taking his hand again you say, "I can't thank you enough Leo. This really is perfect and I'm never taking it off." Leo smiles possibly the happiest smile you've ever seen on him and tells you you're welcome. It's quiet again as you both stare at each other happily. Your eyes scan his face and you can feel yourself leaning closer to him. Leo's expression is more concentrated now and he's closing in on you as well. Just as you're only a few inches apart you hear footsteps right outside your door. 

The door's not completely shut so you don't have much warning as you jerk away from Leo before your mom walks in. "Oh! I thought I heard you talking to someone. How are you, Leonardo?" Your mom asks warmly. "I'm great Ms. (y/l/n)! It's good to see you." You don't miss the way your mom scans over you two and takes in your close positioning. Eyes leaving your mom, you glance at Leo and can see his cheeks are a bit flushed and he's now sitting stiffly while not looking at you. His arm isn't pulling you close now and instead rests loosely behind you "I had actually just come by to give (y/n) her birthday gift. And if it's okay with you, my family and I wanted to spend some time with the birthday girl tonight." Leo explains. Your mom beams, charmed as usual by Leo. "That's very thoughtful of you, Leo. Of course that's okay just don't keep her out too late because I have a great breakfast planned for the morning. You have a nice evening and tell your family hello for me." Her hand starts to pull the door shut but she aims a knowing look at you before it closes entirely. 

You groan and will yourself to stay alive instead of dying on the spot like you have the urge to. Imagining the conversation with her later already makes you uncomfortable. Your heartbeat started to decrease and you thanked the Lord that your mom already knew about the giant turtle currently in your room. The story of how she first met Leonardo and Mikey one night is a rather amusing one and you smile at the memory. Next to you, Leo still looks flustered and zoned out so you bump your shoulder against his to get his attention. "You ready to take me to the lair?" He exhales and the redness in his face diminishes. "Oh, right. I'm ready whenever you are." he says standing up. You call out a goodbye to your mom as you sling a purse onto your shoulder, shut off the lights and maneuver out of the window. Leo helps you onto the rooftop and once ready, you guys link hands and take off towards the lair. 

Any of the remaining awkwardness from your almost moment has melted by the time you've hit the tunnels. As per usual, you guys start talking about everything and anything. Switching from deep conversation to more light hearted, as well as jumping from topic to topic without a moment's notice. You guys are nearing the lair and debating whether visiting France or Italy would be more fun when Leo starts to seem nervous. You squeeze his hand to regain his attention. "You okay?" You ask skeptically. "Hmm? Yeah I'm good! Oh look! It's the lair. We're at the lair! Good ol' lair!" Leo rambles. You raise one eyebrow at him and stop walking. "You're being even weirder than usual, which I didn't think was possible." Leo just tugs on your hand and pulls you the remaining steps to the entrance. 

As you go inside you notice how quiet and still everything is. Just as you're about to ask Leo what's going on the lights flicker on. "Surprise!" Everyone shouts. Noisemakers and whistles are sounding and your eyes widen as you take in all the decorations. Balloons, streamers, the tablecloth, and they're all your favorite color. "Aw! You guys!" You gush. Everyone comes up to hug you and give their mandatory birthday wishes. A giant grin is plastered on your face all the while. "Thank you guys so much! You really did surprise me. Leo didn't even give it away though he was being a weirdo." "Hey!" Leo protests. "You are so welcome (y/n)!" Mikey says. "I hope you're ready because we have pizza, music, movies, and an awesome cake I made just for you." "I am so ready!" You exclaim. "Woo! Let's get this party started then!" Mikey pushes a button on the remote and the music starts blasting from the tv and stereo. Before you can move, Leo squeezes your hand and whispers in your ear that he's going to talk to Master Splinter. You squeeze back and smile at him as he leaves. 

You decide to join Casey and April who are dancing across the room. Although dancing may be inaccurate when it's really just Casey moving awkwardly and showing off the worst dance moves ever while April does something more appropriate and tries not to laugh at Casey. A few minutes later while Casey is busy trying out some hip hop moves he saw in the song's music video April turns to you with a smile. "Having fun?" She asks. "I am! I still can't believe you guys did all of this for me. I feel so special." You say. "We were happy to throw a party for you. I'm glad you like it." April pauses and glances at your neck. "That's a pretty necklace." She adds knowingly. You give her a sincere smile and remember what Leo said. "Thank you for the picture of us. I really love it." "You're so welcome. I'm glad. And so I guess you guys were holding hands because you were so grateful for the necklace, right?" April asks innocently. You try and fail to not look embarrassed. "Actually we both admitted to liking the other and I guess we're kind of together now...?" you confess shyly. April only grins and says it's about time. Casey, who you didn't know was paying attention, whoops from behind you and says, "Damn right it's about time! Congrats (y/n)!" You roll your eyes good naturedly and allow yourself to smile. 

The three of you wander over to the others who are eating pizza already. Mikey scoots over after declaring that 'the birthday girl must have enough room to eat comfortably." Casey and April grab their own plates while your pizza is personally served to you by Raph. You offer him a sincere thank you and play along with their ridiculous treatment of you. Everyone chats as you munch on the pizza and you're reminded of just how lucky you are to know these people. 

A few minutes later you finally spot Leo and Master Splinter outside of the dojo where they had disappeared to talk. Leo makes eye contact with you from across the room and you both smile. He breaks it off to respond to Sensei and you smile down at your empty plate instead. Raphael, having seen the whole thing, pokes you in the side. You glance up, still smiling and flush at the knowing look he gives you. "Nice necklace." He says, without trying to hide his amusement. You don't even dignify that with a response. Donnie and Mikey look up though, glance at the locket around your neck and give you their own cheesy grins. In a similar fashion to April, Donnie simply says it's about time, with Mikey agreeing. You smile at their easy acceptance and still don't say a word. 

By this point everyone's plates are empty and you stand up to begin collecting them much to Mikey's horror. Ignoring his claim that 'the birthday girl can't clean everything up' you make a stack of plates and head towards the kitchen. You intersect with Master Splinter and Leo who have apparently decided to join the party now. Leo smiles as he turns to head towards the kitchen ahead of you. Master Splinter stops you with a hand on your shoulder before you can follow. "Leonardo has told me of the evening's events. I trust the two of you will be happy together?" Sensei asks. Sensing only sincerity in his voice relaxes you as you tell Sensei that you believe you will. He seems satisfied and wishes you happy birthday once more before heading over to claim some remaining pizza. 

Still balancing the plates, you head over to the kitchen and finally drop them all into the trash. Leo is busying himself with putting the few dishes away from the dishwasher. He's just closed the last cupboard when you approach him. "You know," you say to him. "I get the vibe that in addition to the necklace, this party was also all your idea." Leo places the towel on the island before turning to look at you. "I'm not sure why you'd think that. But even if it was true, why is it a problem?" "Because you're being too generous to me for just one birthday." "Too generous? Well I suggest you get used to it because it's probably going to be the same level of generosity a year from now as well." "Do you mean next year as in my birthday or as in our anniversary?" You ask. "Well... I guess it would be both." He says slowly. "You really made this hard on yourself by putting two important events the day after each other." You grin at him. "Well I plan to exceed your expectations anyway so don't worry." He assures as his arms carefully wrap around you and pull you closer. You follow suit and put your hands around his neck. "In all seriousness, thank you Leo. You've made this such a wonderful day." "No problem, (y/n). You deserve all of it. Although I should tell you that the party was Mikey's idea." You nod easily because that's a believable explanation based on the Mikey you know. "Well, I'm still giving you all the credit." "I'll gladly take it." You both grin at each other, not needing words to convey how happy you are. This easy back and forth bantering that works so well for you guys reminds you why you fell for him to begin with. Akin to earlier, the two of you slowly lean in. 

Unfortunately, Mikey bursts into the kitchen, calling both of your names and making you jump. Mikey groans when he sees you two and asks if 'the two of you are always going to be making out now'. You glare at him, insisting that you weren't doing anything, because you weren't. Leo is more frustrated and actually chases Mikey away to the doorway, telling him to mind his own business. 

He glances back at you with a sheepish expression before joining the others. With a sigh you follow his lead and decide to enjoy the remainder of the party. Two dance battles, half of a terrible movie, 2 slices of cake, 3 birthday presents, and a bonus dance battle later, you find yourself wishing everyone a goodnight and giving your final thank you's. Leo accompanies you as you exit the lair and head out into the slightly cool night air. "So you had fun then?" He asks casually. "Do you even have to ask? Every second was fantastic!" You reply honestly. "I really appreciate it, even though you apparently weren't the one to plan it." Leo just grins and gives your hand a tight squeeze. 

You guys reach your house a bit later and you notice that although it wasn't as conversation heavy as usual it was still fun just being in Leo's presence. Getting down to your fire escape was a bit more challenging for you than going up but this time Leo didn't have to be shy about hooking his arm around you and carefully maneuvering the both of you to the window. Even when you'd reached the ground in one piece Leo still kept his arm around you. The wind was gentler than most nights but still had a slight chill to it. You guys seemed immune as you stood outside and looked out across the city. The traveling cars in the distance really created a beautiful scene along with the flickering lights of buildings from blocks away. 

Minutes went by without either of you saying anything, just taking in the view. "What do you think would've happened if I hadn't been nearby on the night you guys stopped that weapons exchange?" You asked, effectively shattering the silence. The night you had met Leo and his brothers had been a scary one for you. A local gang had plans to trade some illegal weapons with another gang that worked mostly underground, at a pier at the edge of the city. This had been on a night when you were sitting by the water and doing some journaling as you sometimes did on stressful days. Your bad timing had almost gotten you killed by the local gang. You'd caught the attention of a gang member when you were walking back to the main street. You had felt dread and, without looking to see who was watching, instinctively started to run. A clever deception had worked in your favor and your pursuer lost you a few blocks away. You had hid behind a dumpster until he was really gone. 

From your dark vantage point in the shadows was where you'd first seen the four mutated turtles. They had arrived at this point to stop whatever the gangs were doing and you remembered watching in awe as their quick, well practiced movements had easily disabled the dozens of men pouring into the area in 5 minutes flat. The strange creatures had been celebrating and slowly approaching your location. You have no idea what compelled you, even to this day, especially when you were still recovering from your chase with the gang member, but you slowly emerged from your spot when they were about 30 feet away and just stood in the low light that the alley provided. This was the first instance that you witnessed their agility and speed. Within seconds the four beings had had their weapons out and taken a defensive stance. You stared in complete fascination, as well as fear of what you'd gotten yourself into, and simply said "Hi?". 

The one wearing a blue face mask in the front slowly lowered his weapons although he was clearly unsure if he should trust you. The other creatures had followed his example but made no further moves and the word 'leader' popped into your head upon seeing the this. "Who are you?" Orange Mask had asked curiously. "I'm (y/n). One of those guys was chasing me until I hid from him but I'm really glad you guys showed up. The creatures had continued to stare and scrutinize you in the darkness until a familiar voice had you all turning your heads skyward. None other than Casey Jones came swinging down from the adjacent building's fire escape in a grand entrance. 

"Aw you guys didn't save me any goons to take down?" He complained taking in the defenseless bodies scattered around. "Casey?!" You exclaimed gaping. "(Y/n)!? What the hell are you doing here?" "Well I was at the docks until I started being chased and uh now I'm meeting your friends apparently..." "What!? What good for nothing creep was chasing you?" "So this bonehead's a friend of yours?" Raphael cut in. Sending a mock glare at his friend Casey answered "Yeah. We've been friends for years. April knows (y/n) too." 'So April knew these people(?) too?' "(Y/n) These are the turtles. They're ninjas and I usually patrol with them." "Ninjas?" You ask warily eyeing the weapons you've now noticed strapped to their backs, or shells. "Yes. Donatello's the tall one in purple, Mikey's our dude in orange, Raph's my best bud in red, and the leader is Leonardo in blue." "You smiled at them and committed their names to memory. Fortunately, they hadn't taken too much getting used to and within a few weeks you were entrusted with the location of their lair. The rest is history. 

"I don't know," Leo replied, breaking you from your memories. "But I'm really glad I don't have to wonder." He stated emotion heavy in his voice. You turned to look at him and he was already staring at you. A couple different emotions were identifiable as you stared each other in the eyes. A certain vulnerability was present as you both stood with all your walls down. Slight disbelief could be found in Leo's eyes as well as an almost overwhelming happiness that was probably also reflected in your own eyes. The soft breeze drifted past again and you took a breath. "Me too." You whispered, never breaking eye contact. Deciding you couldn't wonder anymore, you deliberately pulled him closer as your arms found their new place around his neck and his hands wandered to your hips. He lowered his head towards you and your forehead rested against his for a moment. Almost simultaneously you both closed your eyes and your lips finally met after today's failed attempts. It took a moment to fit your mouths together properly but there was no denying the almost dizzying electricity you two were instantly feeling. 

You guys remained in that position for several moments, sharing a kiss that was slow yet deliberate and conveyed all the happiness you'd both been feeling today. Finally breaking apart you couldn't do much but stare into the cerulean eyes in front of you and once again thank your lucky stars for the path your life had taken. The weirdness and craziness could get overwhelming at times but Leo was a blessing and you wouldn't dream of ever changing a thing that led you to this very special moment. Everything was and always would be undoubtedly worth it.


End file.
